WordCount » writing tips

6 reasons your blog is begging for a ‘Greatest Hits’ page

Michelle V. Rafter — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:18:32 +0000

Many blogging and social media experts recommend including a page on your blog’s main navigation bar listing your best-ever posts.

This “Best of” or “Greatest Hits” page could include posts that have gotten more page views than anything else you’ve ever done or the posts that got the most comments. Or maybe they’re the posts you’re the most proud of having written. For an example, here’s small business blogging expert Chris Brogan’s “Best of” page.

I had such a page, called “Best of WordCount” on the main navigation bar for sometime. As best of lists go it was no great shakes. As I got ready for the final days of this year’s blogathon, the community blogging event I host every May, I forced myself to create a better one. I think it turned out pretty nicely; see for yourself: the new WordCount Greatest Hits page.

How to Create a ‘Greatest Hits’ Page

In case you’re interested in creating a best of page for your blog, here’s what I did:

I broke down what I blog about into four categories: blogging, writing, freelancing and tech tools for writers.
For each category, I went through everything I’d ever written on that topic and picked out 25 standouts, either because they generated a ton of traffic, got a lot of comments, were on timely – or timeless – subjects, or did a good job of addressing what I felt was an important issue.
I organized each list of 25 posts so they went from very basic to increasing more sophisticated material.
I wrote the subheads, checked the links and the list was ready to go.

Why You Need a ‘Greatest Hits’ Page on Your Blog

Besides driving traffic, there are other benefits from adding a best of page to your blog:

1. In addition to your bio or resume, it’s a great way to introduce new readers to who you are and what you write about. If you use Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook for business, include a link to your “Best of” or “Greatest Hits” page on your social network profiles.

2. Having such a list can help establish yourself as an expert in LinkedIn’s Answers section, or at least help you identify yourself as a journalist who’s written about that area.

3. A quick scan of your “Best of” list can reveal where you’ve got holes in topics you cover on a regular basis, which should help give you ideas for future blog posts

4. Compiling a list of posts on a subject can be the first step toward organizing material for an ebook.

5. If you are planning to write ebooks, you can see what material you already have and what you still need to write.

6. If you’ve been blogging for a while, it feels great to look back and realize how much you’ve accomplished.

In case you missed it before, here’s a link to my Greatest Hits list.

If you’ve created a “Best of” or “Greatest Hits” page, how did you decide what to include, and where is it on your website or blog?

Keep your writing fresh

Michelle V. Rafter — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:01:54 +0000

Don't let your stories do this to editors!

I used it the other day.

I promised myself I wouldn’t be one of those editors.

But there I was, talking to a writer and using the “f” word.

“F” as in “fresh.”

For freelancers, “fresh” is our “f” word, that dreaded term that editors rely on when they want writers to come up with a new and different angle on a subject that could be a yawner.

That’s easier said than done, especially if you’re working on a piece on a topic that gets written about a lot, or that you cover a lot.

Here are 5 simple steps to defuse the “f” bomb the next time an editor tosses one your way:

1. Use colorful words. Dress up a story with precisely chosen verbs and descriptors that give it a you-are-there feel. This doesn’t give you permission to use overly flowery prose or unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. Keep your writing tight, and make every word count.

2. Find real-life examples. You might be writing about teething, tennis or tending a backyard garden for the 10th time this year, but finding examples of real people, companies or organizations that have gone through what you’re writing about is one way to put a new spin on an old subject. Since everyone’s experience is unique, telling someone’s story is a good way to put a new face on a familiar story. To do this, however, take careful notes so you have lots of details to draw upon when it comes time to tell the tale.

3. Talk to the experts. Whether it’s cars, fashion or video games, most fields have experts who track what’s new, what’s different and what people are buzzing about.

4. Find the contrarians. Nothing says cutting edge like someone who’s zigging when everyone else is zagging. Most fields have contrarians who can be counted on to express an opinion that deviates from the norm. Finding them could be tricky. But once you do, it could be exactly the opening you need to put a new spin on things.

5. Challenge your assumptions. If you cover a topic on a regular basis, you run the risk of thinking about things in a specific way. So pretend you’ve never written about it before. What questions would you ask yourself about what’s happening? Who would you talk to find out more? Where would you go? What should you read to learn more? Examine how you normally approach a subject and then determine if there could be another way in. Taking a different perspective on things could be exactly what you need to come up with the new – and yes, I’ll say it – fresh approach that your editor will love.

How do you keep things fresh?

William Zinsser and On Writing Well

Michelle V. Rafter — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:37:27 +0000

It had been a while since I read William Zinsser’s classic guide to writing, On Writing Well.

I grabbed it off my bookshelf to share at a writing class I taught at the recent Digital Journalism Camp in Portland – then took it with me on vacation.

I own the book’s fifth edition, which came out in 1994. The only things about it that’s dated is a discussion of the advantage of writing on a computer v. in longhand and a few references to long-dead writers you may or may not have ever read (E.B. White yes, S.J. Perelman, no). The latest 30th anniversary edition, the seventh overall, came out in 2006.

Despite its age, On Writing Well is still relevant as a reference for what to do and what to avoid in many forms of nonfiction: newspaper and magazine articles, travel, sports and humor writing, criticism, memoir – even memos, newsletters and emails you may need to produce for work.

Zinsser’s advice to write tight and bright is especially relevant in a world of shrinking word counts and Internet readers who can’t be bothered to scroll past a story’s opening screen.

If you don’t already have this on your bookshelf, get a copy. Until then, here’s some of my favorite Zinsser advice:

On words – Read your articles out loud to see how they flow. Don’t use words you wouldn’t use in the course of normal conversation. Avoid jargon and cliches. Less is more. Active v. passive.

On the writing process. Writing is hard, even for the pros, the more you do it, the (slightly) easier it gets. Writing is rewriting. Being a writer isn’t about being a certain type of person, it’s about doing the work.

On style – Style is sounding like you on the page, not like anyone else. Zinsser writes:

Sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Proceed with confidence, generating it by willpower. Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it. Use its energy to keep yourself going.

On interviews – Write questions out beforehand. Use some form of shorthand to take notes even if you’re recording. Get more material than you think you’ll need. Pay attention to detail. I didn’t realize how much of this I’d absorbed until I read his chapter on interviews then looked at the notes I’d made for that Digital Journalism Camp class on conducting interviews – his influence is obvious.

On leads and endings – If the first line of your story doesn’t grab readers, they’ll never read the second. Hook them with the lead and keep the good stuff coming. Even when you’re writing nonfiction, writing has to be entertaining for people to stick around. Pay attention to how you finish things. Don’t just re-state the lead – circle back to an opening anecdote, close with a bang-up quote, or simply finish telling the story.

On tackling science, technology and other complex subjects – Make sure you understand how what you’re writing about works or you’ll never be able to explain it to readers. Avoid jargon. Include people to keep things real.

On editors – Good ones can make decent stories better, and decent writers better too. Bad ones drive writers crazy, by changing style, voice, content, organization, and generally treating them “like hired help.”

Some of his closing words are a freelance writer’s anthem:

…The purposes that writers serve must be their own. What you write is yours and nobody else’s. Take your talent as far as you can and guard it with your life. Only you know how far that is: no editor knows. Writing well means believing in your writing and believing in yourself, taking risks, daring to be different, pushing yourself to excel. You will write only as well as you make yourself write.

Top 10 things writers should check before turning in a story

Michelle V. Rafter — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:55:38 +0000

Finished that story? Not quite. Here’s a 10-point checklist of things to review before hitting “Send” to turn in a completed assignment to an editor:

1. Spelling and grammar – Use spell check, but don’t rely on it, read each paragraph over yourself.

2. Sources – Double check spellings, titles, ages and locations. If they’re not correct you’ll hear about it.

3. Headline, deck and subheads – The publication you’re writing for may not require these, but do it anyway, especially if you have a clever idea.

4. Bio – Better to describe yourself as you want than some harried editor.

5. Source list – Some publications want a source list for fact checking purposes. Even if they don’t, it’s not a bad idea to pull sources’ contact information out of your notes to plug into Outlook or so you can send a LinkedIn invitation to someone you want to stay in touch with should you want to interview them again.

6. Links – Because these days every story ends up online and you’ll make a friend on the copy desk if you look up relevant URLs for them.

7. Sidebars – If you did one, are you sending it in the same file or as a separate document? If the latter, make it easy on your editor and turn in both documents at the same time. Be sure to refer to both in your cover email.

8. Charts and graphs -See no. 7. Keeping all the elements of a story package together is the best way to prevent an over-worked editor from losing something and then emailing you about it.

9. Art – If you’re responsible for collecting head shots or other file art for a story, attach it to your email. If you’ve already submitted it, indicate as much. Again, it’s all about making life as easy as possible for your editor – they’ll thank you for it, and hopefully, send more work your way because of it.

10. Invoice - If your contract stipulates sending an invoice along with a story by all means take advantage of that – why wait longer than you have to to get paid. If not, fill out an invoice and have it ready to submit as soon as you get your editor’s OK. I keep pending invoices queued up in Outlook’s Drafts folder.

Here’s one more for good measure – When you turn in an assignment, thank the editor for the opportunity and ask if you can pitch something else. Be sure to inquire if there’s a type of story or section of the publication they need pitches for. If you get a positive response send something right away. Use the mutual good feeling that comes with turning in an assignment to your advantage.

What else do you check before turning in an assignment?

Best of WordCount – Write like a pro

Michelle V. Rafter — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:30:43 +0000

While I’m on vacation this week, I’ll be rerunning some of the best WordCount posts of the year. Look for new posts, including my predictions for the top digital media personalities to watch in 2009, starting January 5. Happy New Year!

Today’s reruns: how to improve your writing.

25 tips for better freelance writing

Good writing is all about context

Make headline news

7 steps to cutting a story that’s too long

You don’t need to be serious to write about serious topics

Write great blog posts

7 tips for writing a great press release

When the words won’t come – overcoming writer’s block